Tony Romo hung around the pocket and paid for it: he suffered two sacks, five hurries, five knockdowns and one near-injury. Tyron Smith was flagged twice, but he neutralized Giants DE Jason Pierre-Paul. Doug Free continued to look like his 2010 self, and Travis Frederick did fine, save one muffed snap.

Mackenzy Bernadeau was outmuscled a couple times, most notably on Romo’s hurried third-down pass on the opening series. Brian Waters could soon replace him at right guard, but the line’s pass protection gave Romo ample time on most of his throws, enabling him to complete 74 percent of them.

Bottom line: Insert Waters and avoid injuries, and this group is more than adequate for the Cowboys’ scheme.